The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, and a program for processing information and, more particularly, to an apparatus, a method, and a program for processing information which allow a user to deal with information associated with 3-dimensional virtual space in an easy and intuitive manner.
In recent years, great advances in information processing technology have been achieved, and it has become possible to easily represent and use a 3-dimensional virtual space via computer graphics (CG) using a general-purpose information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer, without necessitating a special computer.
Also, in recent years, great advances in information communication technology have been achieved, whereby it has become possible to easily share and/or distribute data among a number of clients (for example, information processing apparatuses) by using a server on a network such as the Internet.
Furthermore, in recent years, a combination of information processing technology and information communication technology has made it possible to share data in a 3-dimensional virtual space built on a server by a number of clients (a specific example may be found, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-279284). Various kinds of service using such a technique are provided.
A coordinate system in a 3-dimensional virtual space represented by CG is generally set by a developer who has implemented the 3-dimensional virtual space on a server or the like. When a user manipulates an object in such a 3-dimensional virtual space using a particular input device, the manipulation is performed on the basis of the coordinate system predefined by the developer.
However, when the developer sets the coordinate system in the 3-dimensional virtual system, almost nothing associated with a real space, in which the user operates the input device, is taken into account. As a result, the user has to manipulate an object in the 3-dimensional virtual space via an unintuitive interface. This makes it very difficult to manipulate the object.
More specifically, when a mouse connected to a personal computer is used as the input device to manipulate the object in the 3-dimensional virtual space, the distance of movement of a mouse pointer (in the 3-dimensional virtual space) displayed on a screen is, in general, very different from the distance by which the mouse is actually moved in the real space.
For example, the user cannot intuitively predict how much to move the mouse in the real space in order to move the mouse pointer by a desired distance on the screen (for example from one end of the screen to the opposite end), in the 3-dimensional virtual space. Thus, the user has to learn how much to move the mouse to achieve desired motion of the mouse pointer by trying to move the mouse many times.
Besides, because of a difference between a view point in the 3-dimensional virtual space and a view point in the real space (in general, the view point is arbitrarily set in the 3-dimensional virtual space), the user cannot intuitively predict how to move the mouse in order to move the mouse pointer into a desired direction. Thus, the user has to try to move the mouse many times.
It is known that human eyes are poor in ability of recognition in a direction (depth direction) directly away from a view point. Therefore, when an image representing a 3-dimensional virtual space is displayed on a 2-dimensional screen of a display such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), it is very difficult for the user to achieve intuitive recognition in a direction directly away from view point in the 3-dimensional virtual space. In other words, it is very difficult to display an image representing a 3-dimensional virtual space on a 2-dimensional screen of a display such that the user can achieve intuitive recognition in a direction away from a view point in the 3-dimensional virtual space.
In many cases, in conventional application software based on a 3-dimensional CG model (such as “3ds max” whose description may be found, for example, on Web page “http://www.discreetjp/products/max5/index_max5.htm” (which is accessible as of Nov. 8, 2002)), a 3-dimensional virtual space including an object is displayed via a three-view drawing. That is, the 3-dimensional virtual space including the object is displayed in a front view, a top view, and a side view. This technique allows a user to achieve recognition in a direction away from a view point in the 3-dimensional virtual space.
However, in the three-view drawing, it is necessary to display at least three views including the front view, the top view, and the side view on the single screen (that is, the screen is divided into three parts). Such a manner of displaying an object is unnatural. Besides, recognition in a direction away from a view point is not intuitive, although recognition is possible by analyzing all three views.